Coil-spring-compressing tool



Nov. 16 1926.

D. C. FEATHER COIL-SPRING COMPRESSING TOOL `1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledNov.

Nv. 16, 192e.

' D. C. FEATHER COIL SPRING COMPRESSING TOOL Fned Nov. 1. 1924 ZSheets-Sheet 2 N w Ei Nov. 16 ,1926.

. D. c. FEATHER COIL SPRING COMPRESSING TOOL F'led Nov. 1, 1924 5Sheets-Sheet 5 llnixlvlxlln .l

tial parallelism ends of the coil It follows, therefore, that walls orvother Patented Nov. 16, 1926,

Ubll'llED STATE-S DAVID o. FEATHER,

retrasa 'Peraiirerrics- COLORADO.

oorn-srnrNG-colvrranssrive Toot.

Application inea nvember 1,1924. fsm-mino; 747,351.

This invention rela-testo spring compressingr tools, the presentimprovements embodying certain yunique structural elements of themselvesand as assembled in combination, and the tool as a whole functioning inan improved manner, to overcome certain obstacles i sometimes met withand which other formsof tools do not, provide for, as will 'hereinafterappear'. l

In a prior filed application, Serial No. 708,710, l have disclosed ananalogous type of spring compressor which, however, embodies a Lcombinedspring compressor and carrier holding tool. In that application I haverather fully stated various uses and conditions, generically andspecifically, under which such vtools may be very satisfactorily andeconomically employed, and yaccordingly, especially in avoidance ofunnecessary repetition' herein, reference is made to my aforesaidapplication, both as to the said varied fields of usefulness, in whichthe present improvements may. like` wise generally be employed, and alsovconcerning the' general utilityof-this class of tools in suchrelations. Like in my aforesaid application, and for the purposes ofsimplicity and brevity in disclosure, however, in 'certa-in views of theaccompanying drawings,l have only illustrated the application of thepresent improved tool wit-h particular reference to the vspringcontrolled poppet valves of the cylinders of automobile engines, or thelike, but it is to be emphasized'that this is done 'with-theunderstand'- ing, of course, that such specific disclosure imposes nolimitations lwhatsoever on the general uses of the invention itself.

In' my former construction the spring compressingjaws are actuated insubstantowards each other in lcomL pressing a spring, thereby alsodrawing the spring towards each other, andthus that tool also functionsas a carrier holder for the spring contained between the jaws thereofwhen so compressed. in compressing` a spring the said jaws must beapplied thereto in substantially opened-out relation. While such a toolis very eiiicient irl-general usage, it not infrequently happens,however, with certain forms of structures, that obstacles are sometimesmet with, inthe nature of y obstructions, which prevent readyaccess tothe vsprings with the' Vgripcupped seating washer,

y spring compressed thereby,

these general outlining remarks,

ping jaws of the tool opened-out, so that it becomes desirable, if notactually necessary, to engage 'the spring, or equivalently its towardsone end thereof to cause theK compression.'y of the spring in adirection towards its other end, which latter remains seated. As the endengaged is generally located lowermost, al' though not necessarily so,especially where the springisassociated with an automobile engine valve,these particular types of tools are frequently termed and sometimes,perhaps erroneously, as valve-f lifters. Y n

One of the primary objects of my presentv improvementsvhas been todevisesimple, durable and effective means which, as combined with thestill. retained important featureofactuating the gripping jaw ends insubstantial parallelism relatively to each other, will additionallyprovidev for the proper end engagement of ya coil spring,

when the jaws are closed, for compressing the spring as saidjaws areactuated from f their rel tively closed to opened-out positions. l N AAnother' feature of the present improve-l ments is vthe provision of atrigger-likeactuated latching bar for locking thev jaws', Iwhen underthe tension of an adjusted positions.

The foree'oino` and other ob'ects features 2O b 3 and advantages of theimprovements, howA ever, will be more clearly apparent as incidental tothe following disclosure,

therefore, reference will nowbe immediately .had to theaccompanyingdrawings, illustrating a practical embodiment of the improvements, inwhich drawings Y` Figure'l is ah'vertical centrallyy longitudinallsectional vview of the improved tool; Figure 2 is a top plan view andFigure 3 a bottomyplan view `of the tool, with a portion of theoperating handles omitted; Figures 4,5 and 6 are detail transversesectional views, taken respectively along the lines 4-4, 5-5 `and '6-6of Figure l, and looking Irearwardly in the direction ofthe indicatingarrows; Figure? is a side elevavalve spring lifters engaged coil i atany desiredl and with i tional view of the rtool",Av analogous to FigureY V'l in that it is shown in thenormally closed valve-controlling coilspring', al portion of the engine block being illustrated in verticalsection; Figure 8 is an external perspective view of one of the jaws, anangular Figure 9 is an internal perspective View of the other one of thejaws, a straight jaw; and Figure 10 is a view analogous to -F igure 7 indotted lines, but in full lines showing the jaws opened-out andcompressing the coil spring of the engine valve, and in this view thecurved handles are Shown in reversed positions Arelatively to thepositions of Figure 7. 1

The' handle body structure of the present tool is substantially the sameas in my aforesaid application, being adapted in both instances as acommon unit for the attachment thereto of the spring compressing jawelements proper, which latter as an assorted set may be of various formsand are of an ii'ite'rchangeable character.

B'roa'dly, therefore, the numerals 11-and 12 designate the handle endportions of complementary operating crossed handle members which may lbesuitably shaped longitudinally and transversely, the said handle membersbeing pivoted together intermediately, as at 13, to provide forwardlyprojected contimiati'onsy or extension arms 14 and 15. In economicaland'nore practical manufacture, however, these operating elements varepreferably of channelled formation, for lightness and proper alignment,with the handle portions longitudinally curved, substantially in lthemanner shown, for better gripping vand leverage purposes, the vcross-webof one of said forwardly projected arms being slotted as at 16, Figure1, for the passage of the other said arm therethrough, and the ends ofsaid arms being formed with angularly shanks or necks 17 and 18 that-aresuit-ably headed or terminate in cross-lugs 19 and 2,0, which areadapted for providing sliding connections with the tool jaw elementsproper, as will hereinafter appear, although other suitable slidingconnections Ycould be provided for. The said handle end portions, andtherefore their forwardly projected armsv also, are normally maintaineddivergently opened-out by any 'suitable resilient means,wl1ieh in thedrawings is shown as comprising an 'elongated spring that is lcentrallycoiled around the pivot pin 13 and .provides the divergent spring arms21 and V22 engaging the respective crosswebs of the handles 11 and 12.

its a most convenient means for facilely llocking or latching the'crossed handle members in desired adjustable positions, while likewiseproviding for their ready release, il vpreferably employ a .forwardlycurved trigger-like-actuated Vratchet bar 23. This l'bar is pivotallymounted vtowards one end, as at 24, ,within the Vchanneled handle 12,

disposed Y th'esaid pivoted end terminating in an angularly disposedlinger element or trigger 25 that operates Vthroiug'h a narrow slot 26,inthe cross-web of the handle 12, with the other end of said barlongitudinally operating' through a narrow slot 27 in the crossweb ofthe opposed handle 11, and the curved forward edge portion or' said barhaving' a series of notches or ratchet teeth 28 for coaction with theforward edge face of said slot 27. F or adjustably limiting theopening-out movements of the handle members, I may provide a seriesofapertures 29 through the ratchet bar 23 to receive a cotter pin ,30.The teeth 2'8 of the ratchet kbar are normally held out of engagementwith the forward edge face ofthe slot 27, the ratchet bar being under raresilient tension for the rearward retrac'tile swing of its upper end,the upper end being swung fori'vardly, against said resilient tension,by the actuation of the trigger 25 with an upward swing under thepressure of a finger of the user.y rlhis tensioning means isconveniently illustrated by'an elongated spring that is coiled centrallyaround the axis pin 24 and which 'provides for the spring arm 31,forwardly engaging thev cross-web of the handle 12, and a divergentspring arm 32 bent to engage the lower forward edge face ofthe ratchetbar, as seen from-Figure l. As amatter of fact, other tensioning meansvcould be employed or the spring arm 31 could be a continuation of thehandleftensioning spring arm 22, although, inthe latter event, it woulddoubtless be desirable to reduce the diameter of that end, as thetrigger spring 31-32 would naturally be a lighter, or weaher spring thanthe handle tensioning spring 21-22.

At a. short distance rearwardly of their pivotal axis 13, the side websof the handles 11 and 12 are provided with lpaired apertures adapted forregistration with paired apertures 33 and 34, respectively, disposed atthe inner ends ofthe spring compressing aw elements proper, which atterwill now be fully described, for the detachable pivotal connection ofthe inner ends of said jaw elements to a complementary one of the saidopposed operating handles, as by means of Cotter pins ,35 and 3G ortheir equivalentv One of these jaw elements 37 may be convenientlyreferred to as an angular jawrelement, and the other one 38 Vas avstraight jaw element, being respectively shown in detail and detached atFigures 8 and 9. Both `are preferably of channelled construction, beingrespectively formed with the cross-webs 39 andv 40 and the narrow websor marginally inturned longitudinal flanges 41 and 42, the latterterminating at ltheir inner ends with attachingears or lugs 43 and 44that are `provided with the paired apertures 33 and v34 before referredto.

sidei lli A Theangulai' jaw element 37 is bent to procompressing tools,ride an angularly disposed offsetting arm between its'reur straightsection and a 'tory Warly pr' jeoted `oilse'fd foot-like jawend 4G thatis substantially parallel Awith the' said rear straight section, thecross-web ot said rear straight section, adjaeently oit' the oil'-setting arnr 45 being `provided with a longi-4 tudinal slot 47 and thesaidifootdike projected jaw` end '46 having vits Cross-Web provided witha longitudinal slot 48 that opens out through its forward edge `tace.

In 'the applied use ofthe tool, the .angular jauj element 37 may loesaidr to be a stationa member', as its foot-likev jan' end 46 is adaptedto be iinmovablyseated upon a fixed part 'ofthe engine'body, or itsequivalent, normally supl'iorting that end ot a Coil springs seatingWasher which is to be engaged, for the elevatory compression oi. theGspring, bythe then movable straight jaw elements )aw end.

The Cross-Web` of the' )avv end 49 ofthe straight jaiveleinent 38 isprovidedwvith a longitudinal slot 50 that opens out through its forwardedge i'aee, and vthis* slot l5() vis adapted'for alignment with the slot48 of the angular jan', although the slot 50' is shown larger than theslot 48. y Y

s this straigl tjjaw end 49 is adapted to seat the seating cuppedivasher for the end of the` coil spring to be elevatedly cornpressedv(seeligs. `7 and l0) the cross-Web thereofrnay he'provided with a lugor stop 51, iinniediatelybehind the slot 50, for e-ngagging' thelperiphery of the Washer at the rear 'and with the side-Webs 'or flanges42 engaging the saine at the sides.` However, thelug 5l could hedispensed With andthe said flanges 42 be so shaped'as'to provide for theproper reeeptionof said washer.

niniediatelyat the rearotsaid lug 5.1,' or rearwardly of the slot 50,Vtheeross-web 'of the straight jaw elementiisprovided with an enlargedaperture or rectangular Vslot l'52,

adapted for the `tree passage therethrough of the'oi'lsetting larni 45of the angular jaw element, and which enlarged aperture" 52i'nergeslinto'a longi tudinal slot that is adapted gor veoinpleinentaryassociation with the slot 47 of the cross-web vof Vthe rear section oftheangular jaiv eleinentf D Y Before finally describing the tool inassembly, and its manner of operation', Will first briely indicate theadditional elements shown at Figures 7 and lOyillnstrating lthe use ofthe tool in association with engine valve springs. In these vieivs, V55designates aportion Vot a cylinder bloelrn'iountin'g 'a poppet valve,rthe stem 56 oi'yivhioh surrounded bythe valve Controlling' eoil spring57.y housed ina chamber 5S Vthat,'trequently.

has a depending Wall projeetion '59, orHother analogousohstrnetiomjwhleh prevents access to the spring With the fai'feragevalve spring cupped washerGO, loosely encompassingthe;

valvestem, andfthis washerin turn seats upon a' retaining 'cross-pin 51extending tl'n'ough the free end of thevalve'stein, the said tree end otthe valve stein beingenf gagged by a eaux-actuated push-rod (flithatgenerally operates*throughV a boss 63 torn'iedY on the bottom of thehousing ehaniber 58, and all oit which is fully understood In the'assembly of thegjaiv elements with the handle unit structure vof thetool, the offsetting arm 45 of the angular-jaw elementV 37, which Ieomniercially designate as an S-jaiv or a Z-javv, operates through theen'- larged aperture :32 of the straight jaivelenient 88, theeross-,Webof the oot-lileijaw end 46 Vbeing proximately opposed to the Cross-Webot the javv end 49, in normally closed relation under the'roontrollingVVresili-l ent tensionv of the spring 271-22 and associatedparts, andthe side-Webs or flanges 42 the handle ll of the arin 15, as by'ineansof the ears-43 and the Cotter pin.35, andlike- Wise the rear endv oftheV straight jaw elenjient is.pivotallyoonneeted tov the handle l2 ofthe arni'V 14,*as by ineens ofthe-'ears 44 and the Cotter pin 36. lnFigure'10,.hoivever,

it will be noted that the awl elements are positioned the saine asheretofore describedV but ,that-1 the handle -unit 'structure isii'eversed', being-necessary sonietiine'stoavoid obstructionsoutside ofthe aotual-zoneot the Coil springb'ein, compressed, 'so rthat in thisyreversed pos'itioln*4 the neel; andi cross-lug sliding- 'Connection174-19', of the` arinl5, lmade-j with the angular jaw element 37.,"andlthe -neek andfeross-li'ig 'slidingfeonn'eotion l8-f20fisfniade withthefstra'ight jaw eie- "nienty 38, through the respective,` slots 47 andV53, or in' a manner justo-the reverse of that described WithVreference:toFigures 1. and 7. In all of the rforegoing, I: haveYdeseribed the variouselements and the assembly there?v lor' as they areactuallyshown o1 Vtlior ,lra\v-f ings, but vin seine respectsedalentvreonstruetions vand ployed, Without depart vthe invention.'I- "11 i f'Exeepting for the reversal 'of the vhandle 'connections 4rnightQbe eni- Y g fro-in vthev gist y of Ypin and hence kence willbe hadconjointly to Figures 7 and 10, the former showing the tool as initiallyapplied for compressing a coil spring, and the latter showing the same,in full lines, with saidk spring compressed and with the parts lockedor. latched against the tension of said spring. f

As seen from Figure 7, or the sectional view at Figure l, the jaw end 4Gnormally extends inv slightly spaced juxtaposition along the far side oroff side face of the.

jaw end a9,v the'handles ll-l2 and their forward crossed arms being thenopened-out and it will be particularly noted that both said jaw endsVare disposed on thesame side of a transverse longitudinal. planeextending "approximately through the central Zone or axis pin'lS of thetool, the jaw ends being underhung or undershot, as it were, withrelation to the rearA section of the angular' jaw element 37, therebyproviding: for substantial space over the jaw ends, relatively to therear section of the angular jaw Velement, to afford proper clearancespace around any obstructions, such as indicated at 59.

In Vsuch position, the forked or .slotted jaw ends are inserted intoassociation with the coil spring 57, to be compressed, the spaced orfo-rking-like branches of the jaw ends, formed as by the slots 48-50,straddling the valve stem 56, with the webs of the end 46 encompassingthe boss 63 and with the webs of the jaw end 49 encompassing'and snuglyseating the cupped Washer 60, supporting that end of the coil spring, inwhich positions the cross-web of the relatively straight jaw end isdisposed on one side of the retaining pin 6l and the crossweb of theangular jaw end is disposed on the other side thereof.V l It follows,therefore, upon exerting a gripping pressure upon the handles Ill-l2 tomove the same towards each other, that. the pivotal connections at 35-36and the slidingv interlockv connectionsy at 19-#20, respectively, andfunctioning as swinging fulcrums, will likewiseV be moved towards eachother complementally, actuating the rear portions of the jaw elementstowards each other, in maintained substantial paralleL ism, Vwhileactuating the jaw endsAG-LQ away from each other, also in substantialparallelism, whereby the coil spring 57 is compressed and the cuppedwasher 60 moved away from the retaining pin 61, permitting of thereadywithdrawal of said retaining the. facileremoval of the valve. l

During the closing in movements of the handles 11--12, and when thespring 57 hasv been sufficiently compressed orwhile it isV beingcompressed, pressure. is exerted on the trigger projection 25 by meansof a finger of the user, or the thumb if the handles are disposed inreversed position as at Fig. 10, to swing the otherI end of the ratchetbar 23 towards the forward edge face of the slot 27, see F ig. l forclearer illustration, whereupon an vappropriate notch` 28 engages overthe said forwardv edge face of the slot 27, and the jaws and otherpart-s are held locked or latched1 against the tension of the spring 57compressed thereby, until the ratchetr bar is retracted. The upper endof the ratchet bar 23 being normally held away from the forward edgeface of the slot 27, under tension Vof the spring end 32, it will be'obvious that the release of the ratchet bar will beimmediatelyaccomplished upon a further Slight Vsqueezing together of the handlesll-l2, which is done after the retaining pin 6l has been withdrawn fromthe valve stem 56, when the jaw ends are permitted to move towards eachother, for relieving, the compression of tlie'spring 57 and the removalofthe tool. f

In assembling the valve and the retaining pin 6l, the same operationsare performed by the tool, 'and the tool jaw ends are always normallyheld in approximately closed position, for ready insertion intoassociation with a coil spring to be compressed, by virtue of the handletensioning spring arms 21-22, as hereinbefore referred to.

Although I have thus fully set forth the improvements from variousangles, the objects, advantages and functioning of which will be clearlyapparent it is believed, it will nevertheless be understood ythat I donot wish to unnecessarily restrict the invention to all of the detailsexactly asdisclosed, ex-

cepting as they may come within the terms of Y the ensuing claims, orequivalent elements or combinations thereof, or as fairly interpreted inthe light of the specification if re uisite. Y Y Y hat I do claim, asnew and patentable,

'1. A coil spring compressingi tool, em-

bodying a pair of handles operating to-` `vjectingfits jaw endimmediately along the` offside face .of the other jaw; end, in proxi-Vmately closed relation forwardly ofY said handles, resilient means forautomatically holding said jaw lends normally in said proximately closedrelation, and means so iso p connecting said-jaw elements to saidhandles as to causesaidjaw ends to open and .close concurrently with thelrespective closing and openingihmovements of said handles. v y w 2. Acoil spring compressing tool, embodying a 'pair vof handles operatingtowards and away from each other, a relatively straight jaw element,movable in applied use, terminating forwardly in a jaw end adapted' forelevatory compression association with the lower end of said coilspring, an angular jaw element, held stationary in applied use,embodying an offsetting arm, extending through an aperture ofsaidprelatively straight movable jawl ele ment, for normally projectingits jaw end immediately along the offside face of the other jaw end, in.proXimately closed relation forwardly of said handles, resilient meansfor automatically holding said jaw j.

ends normally in said proXiinatelyv closed relation, and means soconnecting said jaw elements to said handles Yas to cause `said jaw`ends to open and close concurrently with the respective closing andopening movements of said handles.

3. A coil springv compressing tool, embodying a pair of pivotallyconnected crossed handle elements, a'pair of jaw ele# ments terminatingin suitablyformed com plement-ary jaw ends, one of said jaw elementshaving kan offsetting arm, extending towards and beyond said other jawelement, for normally projecting its aw end immediately along theoffside face of the other jaw end, in proximately closed relationforwardly of said handle elements, resilient means forautoniaticallyrholding said jaw ends normally in said proximately closedrelation, and paired complemental means connecting said jaw elements tosaid handle elements forwardly and rearwardly of their pivotalconnect-ion, one of said paired complemental means providing for slidingconnections and the other said paired comple-v mental means providingfor pivotal connections.

4. A coil spring compressingtool,l embodying a pair of pivotallyconnected crossed handles, a pair of jawV elements terminating insuitably formed complementary jaw ends, one of said jaw elements havingan osetting arm, extending through an aperture of the other jaw ele-Vment, for'normally projecting its jaw end immediately along the offsideface of the other jaw end, in proximately closed relation forwardly ofsaid handles, resilient means for automatically holding said jaw endsnormally in said proximately closed relation, and paired complementalmeans connecting said jaw elements to said handles forwardly andrearwardly of their pivotal connection, one of said paired complementalmeans providing sliding' connections andthe other 'said pairedcomplemental means providing yfor pivotal connections,A y

5. A coil spring 4compressing tool, embodying a pair of pivotallymounted handles, a pair of jaw elements operativelyv connected thereto`and terminating at their forward ends insuitablyformed and disposed 1.complementary jaw ends, ajlatching i bar pivotally kconnected at oneend to oneof l said handles and at itsother end projected yintoassociationpwith the second, handle,the said latching bar having aforward edgeA vratchetface, adapted to adjust-ably engage co-actingmeans provided forwardly 'thereof by said second handle, and resilientmeans for automatically maintaining said f ratchet face,A during bothclosing and open- ,ing movements of said handles, normally out oflatchingv engagement with said coacting means provided for by saidsecond handle. l Y

6. A coil spring compressing tool, embodying apair Vof pivotally mountedhandles of channel-bar formation, a pair of jaw elements operativelyconnected thereto and Vterminating at their forward ends in suitablyformed and disposed coinplemen-i "tary'jaw ends, the cross-webs of saidchannel-barhandles being formed with an opposed pair of narrowlongitudinal slots, a latching bar pivotally connected towards one end'to one of said handles and provided vatthat end with a trigger-fingeroperating through the adjacent one ofsaid slots, the swinging end ofsaid latching bar being projected' for longitudinal operationthrough'the opposed slot of the second handle,and the said latching harhaving a for. ward edge ratchet face adapted to adjustably engage theforward edge face portion of the slot of said second handle, andresilient means, in engagement with said latching bar, tensioned toautomatically maintain the swinging end of said latching bar rearwardlyin its slot, during both closingl and opening. movements of saidhandles, withpsaid ratchet face thus normally held disengaged from saidforward edge faceportion thereof.

, 7. A coil spring compressing tool, em.-

resilientv means inengagement with said bar A and tensionedtoautomatically maintainthe swinging end thereof rearwardly in said;y

slot, during both closing and opening move'- mentS ot' said handles,with saidf ratchet face normally disengaged fromv the forward edgeportion ot' said slot, a pair of jaw elements terminating in snitablyformed Complementary jaw ende, one ot' Said jaw elements having anoffsetting armj` extending through an apertnreof thevother jaw element,for normally projecting its jaw end m immediately along the oli'sideface of the other jaw endf in proximately closed relation, resilientmeans for automatically holding said jaw ends normallyin saidproximatelfy closed relation,. and suitable paired means connecting saidjaw elements to Said handles forwardly and rearwardly of the pivotalconnection between the latter;

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

DAVID C. FEATHER.

